The Best Deceptions
by Zena
Summary: Cho goes to "visit her parents" - and Harry discovers that she isn't really visiting them at all. She's in Hogsmeade, with quite a few other men. (Songfic)


"The Best Deceptions"  
I heard about your trip I heard about your souvenirs I heard about the cool breeze In the cool nights And the cool guys that you spent them with  
  
Harry was standing in the middle of Fred and George Weasley's new shop in Hogsmeade, when he spotted Seamus Finningan. The shop was attached to the Three Broomsticks, and Seamus was standing over by the bar, talking to some blonde witch. Harry caught Seamus' attention, and soon he was telling the blonde goodbye. He approached Harry smiling.  
  
"Hi Harry."  
  
Harry extended his hand and Seamus shook it. "I'm great, and you?"  
  
"Doing good, what do you think of that blonde over there?"  
  
Harry chuckled, and replied, "She's no Cho, but she's nice."  
  
"It's been a while since I've seen you mate. What have you been up to lately?"  
  
"Not much. Just waiting on Cho to get back from her parents' house. She's going to come to my place and have dinner tonight."  
  
"Oh. How long has she been staying with her parents?"  
  
"All this week. I can't wait for her to get home. I hope she's having a good time."  
  
Seamus thought to himself, You have no idea how much fun she's having.  
  
It seemed that everyone except Harry had been aware of Cho's true whereabouts for the past week. She had not been visiting her parents, unless her parents were all men she enjoyed shagging. Cho had rented a room at the Hogsmeade Inn, and the innkeeper had seen her take various men to her room, as many as five at a time. Seamus had seen her as well, and both times she was with a different guy.  
  
"Harry, you want to come sit at the bar with me? I need to tell you something."  
  
"Sure. Is something wrong?"  
  
The two men walked over to the bar and ordered butterbeers. Seamus looked at the floor nervously, and then looked up at Harry and sighed.  
  
"I really should not be the person to tell you this, Harry. But, I don't think Cho ever will, and you deserve to know."  
  
Harry racked his brain. What could Seamus possibly have to tell me about Cho?  
  
"Go ahead," Harry said. But he could never have prepared himself for what Seamus was about to say.  
  
Seamus took a deep breath and started, "Cho hasn't been staying with her parents. She has been staying at the Hogsmeade Inn. Harry, she's been seen with many different guys. I have seen her with two, and the innkeeper says he's seen her take as many as five into her room at one time. I think she's been..." his voice trailed off when he noticed Harry's clenched fist. His knuckles were beginning to turn pallid. Seamus looked up at Harry's face, and found that all the color was drained from it.  
  
"She's been shagging them." Harry answered softly.  
  
"Yeah," was all Seamus could think to say. This was such an awkward moment. He couldn't imagine how Harry was feeling at the moment, and he felt horrible for being the person to tell him the shocking news.  
  
"But she loves me. She couldn't...she wouldn't. She loves me. I thought she...She loves me, Seamus. She wouldn't do this to me!" Harry put his hands in his face and shook his head slowly.  
  
Seamus placed an arm around Harry's shoulders in hopes of comforting him. "I'm so sorry mate."  
  
Harry raised his head up from the shelter of his hands and smiled halfheartedly. "Thanks Seamus. I'm going home now, to wait for her. We'll talk, and we'll see what happens. I'll see you later."  
  
"Good luck Harry."  
  
Harry nodded his head and walked out the door slowly. Once he was outside, he whispered, "I hope he's lying." Then he apparated to his apartment.  
  
Well I guess I should have heard of them from you I guess I should have heard of them from you Harry was waiting for Cho on the sofa. He had spent the past three hours wondering what he did wrong in their relationship. Was he not treating her the way she wanted to be treated? Was he not pleasing her? What went wrong?  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when Cho opened the door and spoke. "Hey baby! How was your week?"  
  
Harry looked up at her beautiful face and replied, "Fine, and yours love?"  
  
"Oh, I had a great time."  
  
"How are your parents?"  
  
Cho smiled sheepishly and joined Harry on the couch. "They're good. Mother and I went robe shopping in Hogsmeade, and she bought a lovely new set of teal robes. Father joined us later in the day, and well, you know how he is with candy. We spent at least an hour in Honeydukes."  
  
"That's sound like it was fun. Did you see anyone from school?"  
  
"Yes. I saw Seamus, and that other boy, oh, what is his name? One of your little gay buddies. Um, Dean?"  
  
"Yeah, that would be him. My 'gay buddy' Dean. I went to Hogsmeade as well. I ran into Seamus, and we had quite a little chat. Any ideas on what we could have talked about?"  
  
"No. Did he say he had seen me?" At this point Cho's guilt was beginning to show.  
  
"Yes. He actually told me he had seen you with some guys. Who were they?"  
  
Cho gasped lightly, "Guys? Surely you don't believe him Harry!"  
  
"I don't know what I believe. But maybe you could help me make a decision. Tell me what he's talking about, please."  
  
"Harry, I only saw Seamus once, and I was with my parents at the time. I don't know what he's talking about."  
Don't you see Don't you see that the charade is over? And all the "Best Deceptions" and the "Clever Cover Story" awards Go to you  
  
"Cho! I'm not as thick as you seem to think I am! I know you weren't with your parents! I know you've been staying at the Hogsmeade Inn! I know you've been shagging all those men! I know! Don't treat me like I'm brainless! But of all these things I know, one thing still puzzles me - Why? How could you do this to me?"  
  
Cho wouldn't look up at Harry the entire time he spoke. Her eyes appeared to be glued to the floor. She was pale, and you could easily see the guilt in her eyes.  
  
"Don't just stand there and stare at the floor. Talk to me!"  
  
Cho's bloodshot and tear-filled eyes met Harry's emerald orbs and she sighed.  
  
"Harry, I did. But I love you! It was a mistake, and it will never happen again. I was confused. I..I love you Harry! Please don't let this be the end of our relationship!"  
  
"Cho! If you really loved me, you wouldn't do something like this to me! You would not look elsewhere if I was good enough for you! You don't love me any more than you loved those men you took into your room and shagged!"  
  
"Harry, I." She leaned in to give him a kiss, but it felt as if she were kissing a brick wall. His lips made no effort to return the kiss. They were cold, and emotionless, just like his eyes.  
  
So kiss me hard Cause this will be the last time that I let you  
  
"I love you."  
  
"You don't love me at all. Please leave." Harry stood and pointed to the door.  
  
Cho stood and hugged him, but once again, there was no response from his body. It seemed as though he could feel nothing.  
  
"Harry, please. I love you so much. Don't do this."  
  
He pushed her away gently and looked into her eyes. "Just leave."  
  
She gave him one final pleading glimpse and found no mercy in his eyes. She then turned and made her way to the door. Harry watched her walk away, and thought to himself, She's the only woman I've ever loved, and she's gone. What I am going to do?  
  
Then a voice in the back of Harry's mind said, "One day she'll be back, and then it will be your lips that tell the story of many other kisses, not hers."  
  
You will be back someday And this awkward kiss That screams of other people's lips Will be of service To keeping you away  
  
Cho walked out the door, without another glance, or a wave, or even a farewell. Harry walked back to the sofa and sat down. He put his head in his hands and cried. She was the only woman he'd ever loved, and she had broken his heart into a million pieces.  
A few weeks later, Harry ran into Cho's best friend, Sylvia, in Hogsmeade. She seemed pleased to see him, which he found odd.  
  
"Hi Harry."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"I'm good, and you?"  
  
She looked at him and smiled, "I'm great. Hey, you know, Cho was telling me yesterday that she really wished the two of you were still together."  
  
"Really?" Harry's voice sounded cold.  
  
"Yes, she says she's sorry for what she did, and she'd like to make it up to you."  
  
"Well, that's nice. It's a little too late for that though, don't you think? And she should tell me these things herself."  
  
"Um, well, I guess," Sylvia was at a point now where she had no idea what to say.  
  
"I need to go now. Have a nice day," Harry said as he was walking away.  
I heard about your regrets I heard that you were feeling sorry I heard from someone that you wish you could set things right between us Well I guess I should have heard of that from you I guess I should have heard of that from you  
The next day, Harry was sitting on the sofa, reading a letter Hermione had written him. She was on vacation with Ron's family in Egypt. All of a sudden, Cho apparated into his apartment.  
  
"What are you doing here?!?"  
  
"I came to say I'm sorry."  
  
Harry began to feel the anger rise up inside him once again. I'm really not over this yet. Damn.  
  
"Sorry isn't good enough Cho. Leave."  
  
"No."  
  
"Leave."  
  
She looked at him with unwavering eyes, and said, "Harry James Potter! Give me a chance to explain myself! I love you and I'm not leaving here until you tell me what I want to hear!"  
  
"What do you want to hear, Cho?"  
  
"I want you to admit that you love me too."  
  
"Leave!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Leave now Cho. I mean it. Just leave."  
  
"Fine! But I'll be back!"  
  
"You better not be, because I don't want to see your face."  
  
Harry felt as if he was about to explode with anger. Cho disapparated, but Harry's insides were still churning with fury.  
  
I'm waiting for blood To flow to my fingers I'll be all right when my hands get warm  
  
An hour later, Harry's telephone began to ring. He picked up the receiver only to hear Cho's pleading voice.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"No."  
  
And he hung up the receiver. The phone rang again, and he ignored it.  
  
"It's too late Cho; you've made your bed, now lie in it."  
  
The phone continued to ring, and he picked up the receiver once again and slammed it back down. He reached to the side of the phone and turned off the ringer.  
  
Ignoring the phone I'd rather say nothing I'd rather you never heard my voice You're calling too late Too late to be gracious And you do not warrant long goodbyes You're calling too late You're calling too late  
  
"Leave me alone," he whispered quietly, and a single tear trickled down his face. 


End file.
